Luzerne County councilman questions purchasing policy

A Luzerne County councilman is questioning the validity of a purchasing policy released by the county administration this week, saying the document was not approved as mandated by the home-rule charter.

The manual, which establishes policies governing how the county buys goods and services, was sent to county employees earlier this week and was announced at a council committee meeting Tuesday. It says it was developed by the purchasing department, county manager's office, county council and the office of law, and that it was approved this month.

In an email to council members Friday, Vice Chairman Edd Brominski said that isn't the end of the story.

"I wish to bring to your attention that the charter clearly states, provisions for purchasing and acquisition procedures are to be included in the Administrative Code, adopted by council using charter ordinance procedures," Brominski wrote.

He alleges that county Manager Robert Lawton discarded a draft purchasing policy three years ago "possibly because it included many progressive cont(r)acting techniques intended to move our county government forward by eliminating suspect, inefficient contracting practices and adding much needed checks and balances."

Brominski suggests council compare the discarded policy, the policy unveiled this week and other policies before making any changes to the administrative code.

Dave Parsnick, director of administrative services, said he would have to confer with county solicitor David Pedri to address the issue.

The purchasing policy, which is intended to prevent corruption by establishing guidelines for use of county funds, sets limits on the amount department heads can authorize and requires high-dollar items to be bid competitively.

It was quick to draw criticism from local watchdogs, who noted the manual did not address a right to audit clause, which the Luzerne County Government Study Commission recommended in 2010 to allow the county to audit vendors.

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2058, @cvjimhalpin

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.